ABC says Sunday night's 83rd annual Oscar ceremony drew the 2nd biggest audience since 2007. Which is true. Except of course they're not telling you the full story. Because networks can't handle the truth. Get the complete local and national Nielsen numbers on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.Ed Bark

Sunday night's Oscar ceremony on ABC was designed to attract more younger viewers via hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco. Still, a visitor from Old Hollywood managed to pretty much steal the show. Our review is here.Ed Bark

All four major TV news providers again led with the same story on Thursday's late nighters. Not surprisingly it was news of the arrest of an alleged would-be terrorist who had been enrolled at Texas Tech University. One station declined to spring for a ticket to Lubbock, though. Which one? Check out our latest compendium, which also includes some advice for longtime Fox4 gumshoe Becky Oliver.Plus, the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings are in the house.Ed Bark

A Thursday radio in which Charlie Sheen repeatedly insulted the executive producer of Two and a Half Men has finally provoked CBS and the show's production company, Warner Bros. Television, to end production for the rest of this season. Our take is here.Ed Bark

Anne Hathaway and James Franco, the surprise picks to host this year's Oscars, seem ready to go, judging from their amusing final short film from "boot camp." You can see it here. Whaddya think?Ed Bark

Lots went on Friday -- at least on two of the four major TV news providers' late night editions. Our latest ratings "sweeps"-tied play-by-play can be found right here. Otherwise, happy Presidents Day!Ed Bark

There's lots of new stuff to hash over on Day 4 of our two-week February "sweeps" content analysis-palooza. Including of course that Band of Brothers reunion -- on CBS11 -- of former WFAA8 stalwarts Tracy Rowlett and Troy Dungan. Our latest compendium is here.Ed Bark

WFAA8 took another standing 8 count in the 10 p.m. news ratings Thursday. But this was personal. Front-running CBS11 routed the onetime ratings juggernaut with help from live appearances by two former WFAA8 stars, news anchor Tracy Rowlett and weathercaster Troy Dungan.

They're being profiled separately this week by CBS11 anchor Karen Borta. But both were in the house for Thursday's newscast, marking their first on-air appearance together since Rowlett left WFAA8 in 1999. It should be noted that a substantial lead-in audience from CBS' The Mentalistdidn't hurt CBS11's 10 p.m. ratings prospects. But the station retained the bulk of that audience, and Rowlett/Dungan very likely had something to do with that. Get all the details in our latest "Local Nielsen Ratings Snapshot."Ed Bark

CBS11's squadron of 10 p.m. reporters has a decidedly different makeup these days. Plus we also scour the late nighters on Fox4, NBC5 and WFAA8 on Day 3 of our two-week look at February "sweeps" news content.The latest D-FW Nielsen ratings also are in. And on my home away from home, locatetv.com, take a look at the Oscar Q&A, which includes interesting TV pasts for co-hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco.Ed Bark

Overall local newscast audiences are up compared to a year ago, thanks in no small part to the heavy barrage of winter weather at the outset of the February "sweeps" ratings period. At the halfway mark, Fox4 and CBS11 so far are in the best positions to finish with the most firsts. Get all of the details here.Ed Bark

He said/he said. "Mullah"/"Go to hell." Fox4's extended live interview with again embattled Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price led the night's coverage of the big public hearing blowup. But one of the four stations took a complete pass. Our looks at what they said/they did are right here. Plus, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings "snapshot" updates the path toward what could be a mega-upset in the February "sweeps" 10 p.m. newscast rankings.Ed Bark

We're in the midst of the four-week February ratings "sweeps," and unclebarky.com again hears that familiar old siren song. So for the next two weeks, we'll again be putting a microscope on the late night newscasts newscasts from Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11. For starters, what's gotten into NBC5?Plus, Fox4 inadvertently does an on-air promo for its early morning "Godo" Day show. And the latest D-FW Nielsen ratings show an almost shockingly scant audience for Jeopardy's Watson the IBM computer gambit.Ed Bark

While TNT mulls whether to shoot the pilot of its Dallas remake in Dallas, we revisit the shock waves felt at Fox when its modern day Dallas, a k a the critically praised Lone Star, premiered with deathly Nielsen ratings. Plus, weeknight sports anchor Desmond Purnell is the latest to leave Dallas-based CW33.Ed Bark

SCTV's sendup of a Liberace Christmas Eve special is still a gift that keeps on giving. Here's the faux promo, with Lee joined by Elton John, Ethel Merman and an ultimately fed-up Orson Welles, played by the late great John Candy.Ed Bark

Al Gore's Current TV is making as big a splash as it can this week, following its surprise hiring of Keith Olbermann with an announcement of other new programming and the Friday night premiere of a weird, viewer-driven series called Bar Karma. We get current with Current here. Plus, Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings chart the local reception for Matthew Perry's new Mr. Sunshine series among other things.Ed Bark

It'll only be a one-night stand. But the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki is voicing his cartoon self on this Sunday's NBA All-Star episode of Fox's The Cleveland Show. Get your first looks at him on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page. Also, Fox4's 9 p.m. local newscast cleaned up in Tuesday's D-FW ratings as another winter storm prepared to pounce.Ed Bark

Keith Olbermann has joined forces with the currently almost invisible Current TV network, which was co-founded by Al Gore. Go to our TV Bulletin Board page for all the details. Plus, Fox's The Chicago Code falters on opening night, both nationally and in the D-FW Nielsen ratings.Ed Bark

The latest drama series from Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield, will get a super-big buildup during Super Bowl XLV before premiering on Monday. See our review of The Chicago Code. Plus, Uncle Barky makes his Super Bowl prediction.Ed Bark

Frigid weather and an audition show from Austin ballooned American Idol to its biggest D-FW ratings of the season Wednesday while Fox4 also celebrated a landmark January in late night news.

Plus, Bart Starr will be in North Texas Saturday to present an award named after him at the NFL's annual Athletes in Action Super Bowl breakfast But how good was he as the Green Bay Packers' general during the Vince Lombardi glory years? Native Wisconsinite Uncle Barky nears the end of his Packer-packed Super Bowl XLV buildup with a closer look at the Bart before Simpson.

Furthermore, the ongoing icy grip provides another excuse to reprise WFAA8's all-time classic cold weather report. This newly restored video of Valeri Williams' 1992 dispatch from frozen Hedley, Texas is in pristine shape and also has more of the resultant two-pronged crackup by anchors Tracy Rowlett and Chip Moody. Ed Bark

Not to snow or sleet on Jerry's rose-colored glasses outlook, but your friendly content provider is certain this will be the first and last Super Bowl in North Texas -- unless they put a plexiglass bubble over everything. See if you agree.

Plus, a woman reporter from a Green Bay TV station visits a local barbecue joint and says during her dispatch, "I'm lookin' at your vast array of meats here." It's all part of Wisconsin native Uncle Barky's ongoing series of Packerland vignettes.Ed Bark

Tuesday's extended storm coverage on D-FW's major TV news providers led to super-sized ratings for all. But who drew the most eyeballs? You can find our detailed report in the latest "Local Nielsen Ratings Snapshot" post. Plus, CNN correspondents show considerable grace under fire after being attacked in Cairo's Tahrir Square. We have their subsequent video accounts. And The Kennedys miniseries, dumped by History Channel and rejected by other networks, finally has a TV home. The details are here.Ed Bark

TNT officially has greenlighted a pilot for its possible second generation Dallas series, with Larry Hagman, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy reprising their roles from the CBS original. But where will it be filmed? Get the details on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.Ed Bark

D-FW's two 10 p.m. ratings kingpins, WFAA8 and CBS11, had dueling stories Monday on the possibilities that prostitutes will be pouring into North Texas for Super Bowl week. See which station you believe. On the same page, we also look at Fox4's first edition of XLV Live. Plus, your latest daily dose of Uncle Barky's native state Packers winds back to the glory days of the team's all-time greatest player. No, definitely not No. 4.Ed Bark

Tuesday morning dawned as a bonafide bad weather day, just like D-FW's TV weathercasters said it would be. Our picture page and accompanying text shows what it was like out in the field for the market's early-rising cold warriors.Ed Bark

The February ratings "sweeps" start Thursday, with WFAA8 and CBS11 expected to wage another pitched battle for 10 p.m supremacy. Two former WFAA8 biggies, anchor Tracy Rowlett and weathercaster Troy Dungan, will be brought into battle for one night only -- on CBS11. Get the details here as unclebarky.com turns another page and heads into February while archiving January.Ed Bark